ELMHURST, Ill. – The Gustavus volleyball team capped the Elmhurst Tournament with a pair of victories Saturday, defeating North Park 3-0 followed by a 3-1 win over Benedictine to improve to 3-1 overall.
“We displayed good serving and passing again today,” Head Coach Rachelle Sherden said. “A lot of players saw court time and our blocking improved today. If we didn’t get the block-kill we slowed it down and made it easier on our diggers. It was a good start to the season and we’re excited to get back into the gym next week to keep working hard and improve.”
Gustavus vs. North Park – 25-12, 25-18, 25-15
The Gusties made quick work of North Park in the opening set after a back and forth start to the frame. Tied 4-4, the Gusties catapulted out to a 17-7 advantage with a 13-3 run and never looked back. The Black and Gold were efficient on the attack, hitting at a .303 rate in the first frame.
The second frame had a similar start to the first as the two teams were tied after eight volleys, but the Gusties once again went on a spree, this time 7-2 and held on for a seven-point win. The third set started with four points to Gustavus, five to North Park, and then the momentum swung back the other way with four straight for the Gusties and they held the lead the rest of the way to complete the shutout victory.
Shaefer Rupar (Jr., Merrill, Wis.) led the attack with eight kills on 14 attempts and one error for a .500 attack percentage. Brittany Luethmers (So., Prior Lake, Minn.) led the defense with 19 digs, while Nora Holtan (So., Rochester, Minn.) and Marisa Morgan (Jr., Rockford, Ill.) split time setting up the offense with 15 and 12 assists, respectively.
Gustavus vs. Benedictine – 25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 25-20
Lauren Hanson (So., Redwood Falls, Minn.) was the offensive star of the second game for the Gusties as she registered a season-best 16 kills and a .419 attack percentage. Luethmers once again led the back line with 17 digs, and Holtan pushed up 34 assists. For her performance over the weekend, Holtan was named to the All-Tournament Team.
The opening set was all Gustavus from the beginning as it took a 9-4 lead. Benedictine made it interesting midway through the set with six straight points and took a 17-15 advantage, but the Gusties answered with a 6-2 run and held on for a four-point win.
The two squads traded points in the early going of the second set and Benedictine led 6-5, but Gustavus grabbed the momentum with a 12-4 run, which included seven straight points at one point. Benedictine rallied in the third set while facing the probability of defeat as it rattled off eight consecutive points midway through the frame for a 16-10 lead and held on for an eight-point win.
The Gusties regained their composure in the fourth set in a tightly-contested game. Gustavus claimed the first point of the set and never trailed, but Benedictine never trailed by more than four points.
Gustavus returns to St. Peter for its home opener at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Martin Luther.